a. A secondary woody stem or limb growing from the trunk or main stem of a tree or shrub or from another secondary limb.
b. A lateral division or subdivision of certain other plant parts, such as a root or flower cluster.
2. Something that resembles a branch of a tree, as in form or function, as:
a. A secondary outgrowth or subdivision of a main axis, such as the tine of a deer's antlers.
b. Anatomy An offshoot or a division of the main portion of a structure, especially that of a nerve, blood vessel, or lymphatic vessel; a ramus.
3. A limited part of a larger or more complex unit or system, especially:
a. An area of specialized skill or knowledge, especially academic or vocational, that is related to but separate from other areas: the judicial branch of government; the branch of medicine called neurology.
b. A division of a business or other organization.
c. A division of a family, categorized by descent from a particular ancestor.
d. Linguistics A subdivision of a family of languages, such as the Germanic branch of Indo-European.
4.
a. A tributary of a river.
b. Chiefly Southern US See creek. See Note at run.
c. A divergent section of a river, especially near the mouth.
5. Mathematics A part of a curve that is separated, as by discontinuities or extreme points.
6. Computers
a. A sequence of program instructions to which the normal sequence of instructions relinquishes control, depending on the value of certain variables.
b. The instructions executed as the result of such a passing of control.
7. Chemistry A bifurcation in a linear chain of atoms, especially in an organic molecule where isomeric hydrocarbon groups can vary in the location and number of these bifurcations of the carbon chain.
v.branched, branch·ing, branch·es
v.intr.
1. To put forth a branch or branches; spread by dividing.
2. To come forth as a branch or subdivision; develop or diverge from: an unpaved road that branches from the main road; a theory that branches from an older system of ideas.
3. Computers To relinquish control to another set of instructions or another routine as a result of the presence of a branch.
v.tr.
1. To separate (something) into branches.
2. To embroider (something) with a design of foliage or flowers.
Phrasal Verbs:
branch off
To diverge from a main body or path: a new faction that branched off from an established political party.
branch out
1. To develop branches or tributaries: a river that branches out into a delta.
2. To expand the scope of one's interests or activities: a knitter who branched out into crocheting.
[Middle English, from Old French branche, from Late Latin branca, paw, perhaps from Gaulish *branka; perhaps akin to Lithuanian ranka and Russian *ruka, hand.]
branch′less adj.
branch′y adj.
Synonyms: branch, arm1, fork, offshoot These nouns denote something resembling or structurally similar to a limb of a tree: a branch of a railroad; an arm of the sea; the western fork of the river; an offshoot of a mountain range.
1. A subdivision of any organization. 2. A geographically separate unit of an activity which performs all or part of the primary functions of the parent activity on a smaller scale. Unlike an annex, a branch is not merely an overflow addition. 3. An arm or service of the Army. 4. The contingency options built into the basic plan. A branch is used for changing the mission, orientation, or direction of movement of a force to aid success of the operation based on anticipated events, opportunities, or disruptions caused by enemy actions and reactions. See also sequel.
Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.
branch - a division of some larger or more complex organization; "a branch of Congress"; "botany is a branch of biology"; "the Germanic branch of Indo-European languages"
legislative branch - the branch of the United States government that has the power of legislating
judicial branch - the branch of the United States government responsible for the administration of justice
2.
branch - a division of a stem, or secondary stem arising from the main stem of a plant
stalk, stem - a slender or elongated structure that supports a plant or fungus or a plant part or plant organ
bark - tough protective covering of the woody stems and roots of trees and other woody plants
deadwood - a branch or a part of a tree that is dead
tree branch, limb - any of the main branches arising from the trunk or a bough of a tree
branchlet, sprig, twig - a small branch or division of a branch (especially a terminal division); usually applied to branches of the current or preceding year
3.
branch - a part of a forked or branching shape; "he broke off one of the branches"
consequence, effect, result, upshot, outcome, event, issue - a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon; "the magnetic effect was greater when the rod was lengthwise"; "his decision had depressing consequences for business"; "he acted very wise after the event"
5.
branch - a stream or river connected to a larger one
billabong - a branch of a river made by water flowing from the main stream only when the water level is high
distributary - a branch of a river that flows away from the main stream and does not rejoin it
branch offturn off, deviate, change direction, leave the road, take a side road, take another road, quit the road, depart from the roadShe branched off down the earth track.
branch outexpand, diversifyI continued studying moths, and branched out to other insects.
branch outvi + advto branch out into (business) → estendere la propria attività nel ramo di; (person) → mettersi nel ramo di he's branched out on his own → si è messo in proprio
1. an arm-like part of a tree. He cut some branches off the oak tree. tak غصن клон ramo větev der Ast gren κλαδίrama oks شاخه oksa brancheענף शाखा grana ág cabang trjágrein ramo 枝 가지 šaka zars dahan takgreingałąź څانګه ramo ramură ветка vetva veja grana gren, kvist กิ่งก้าน dal 樹枝 гілка ٹہنی ، شاخ ، ڈالی cành cây 树枝
2. an offshoot from the main part (of a business, railway etc). There isn't a branch of that store in this town; (also adjective) That train runs on the branch line. tak فرع филиал divisão pobočka; boční Zweig-...; Neben-... filial; afdeling; tilslutnings- υποκατάστημα, παράρτημα, παρακλάδιsucursal haru(-) شعبه؛ انشعاب haara succursale, ligne secondaire סניף शाखा odvojak ág(azat), elágazás cabang grein; deild; útibú succursale, filiale; diramazione 支店 지점 atšaka, filialas filiāle; atzars; nozarojums cawangan filiaal; zij-, bij- filial; side-filia برخه، شعبه ، انشعاب divisão sucursală; linie secundară филиал; ответвление pobočka; vedľajší podružnica, vzporedna proga ogranak filial, bibana สิ่งที่แตกสาขาออกมา kol, şube 分枝 філія, відділення شاخ nhánh 分枝
verb
(usually with out/off) to spread out like, or into, a branch or branches. The road to the coast branches off here. vertak يتفرع разклонявам се ramificar rozvětvovat se sich(ab-,ver-) zweigen forgrene sig; dreje af διακλαδώνομαι ramificarse hargnema به چند شاخه تقسیم شدن erkaantua bifurquer לְהִסתָעֵף विभाजित होना granati se elágazik / greinast, skiptast ramificarsi, biforcarsi 分岐する 갈라지다, 분기하다 išsišakoti atzaroties; sazaroties bercabang zich vertakken, zich afsplitsenforgreine seg, dele seg rozgałęziać się په څو څانګو تقسیمیدل ramificar a se bifurca разветвляться rozvetvovať sa razcepiti se razgranati se expandera, förgrena sig, vika av แตกแขนง ayrılmak 分叉 відгалужуватися, відходити شاخین نکالنا ، پھیلنا phân nhánh; chia ngả 分叉
One branch of the legislative department forms also a great constitutional council to the executive chief, as, on another hand, it is the sole depositary of judicial power in cases of impeachment, and is invested with the supreme appellate jurisdiction in all other cases.
At each period of growth all the growing twigs have tried to branch out on all sides, and to overtop and kill the surrounding twigs and branches, in the same manner as species and groups of species have tried to overmaster other species in the great battle for life.
On one branch there hung little nets cut out of colored paper, and each net was filled with sugarplums; and among the other boughs gilded apples and walnuts were suspended, looking as though they had grown there, and little blue and white tapers were placed among the leaves.
It was by them shown, as well on the credit of historical examples, as from the reason of the thing, that the most POPULAR branch of every government, partaking of the republican genius, by being generally the favorite of the people, will be as generally a full match, if not an overmatch, for every other member of the Government.
And the branch of the tree on which he had put an end to his own sufferings was arranged in such a way that, before dying, he had seen, for his last consolation, a thousand men writhing in his company.
It was evident that the massive beast pursuing us was not built for speed, so all that I considered necessary was to gain the trees sufficiently ahead of it to enable me to climb to the safety of some great branch before it came up.
So Baloo, the Teacher of the Law, taught him the Wood and Water Laws: how to tell a rotten branch from a sound one; how to speak politely to the wild bees when he came upon a hive of them fifty feet above ground; what to say to Mang the Bat when he disturbed him in the branches at midday; and how to warn the water-snakes in the pools before he splashed down among them.
She had been listening attentively to Meriem for an hour, propped against the bole of a tree while her lithe, young mistress stretched catlike and luxurious along a swaying branch before her.
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